


A Butterfly-Wasp Beats Its Wings

by AvocadoLove



Series: Zuko's Choice AU [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Neglect, Dehydration, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, What-If, Wrongful Imprisonment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24590563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvocadoLove/pseuds/AvocadoLove
Summary: Based on my Zuko's Choice thought experiment on Tumblr: Once Zuko let himself see what kind of a man Ozai was, the clear moral choice was to turn his back on him. “He’s the worst father in the history of fathers”. But what if bringing balance back to the world meant defying a man who truly loved and supported him? What if Iroh was Fire Lord?In this section: In a universe where Ozai remained Fire Lord, he sent his young son to spend one humiliating night in the palace's lower cells.This is where things changed.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zuko's Choice AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1777540
Comments: 48
Kudos: 1005
Collections: Finished111





	A Butterfly-Wasp Beats Its Wings

Ursa had disappeared under circumstances no one would talk about, and Ozai had been Fire Lord for nearly a month now. Zuko was still trying to adapt to his change in status. All his life, Lu Ten had been the Crown Prince. Not only was his cousin older and untouchable, he was brave, noble, strong, smart... perfect in every way that Zuko wasn’t.

Zuko was ten-years-old and knew he had big shoes to fill.

He tried and he _tried_ , but even though he was the Crown Prince (or he would be once father made the official announcement. He just… hadn’t yet) at the end of the day, he was still just Zuko. Behind on every metric. Lucky to be born.

Ozai made it clear: If he didn’t start firebending better, he was going to be an embarrassment to the whole country.

One late afternoon before super, Ozai requested his children’s presence to see a firebending demonstration. Azula went first. She executed some advanced form that Zuko didn't even _know_ existed. Every kick, leap, and punch was perfect. Some of her flames were even blue at the edges.

Taking a breath, Zuko stepped up next. He was determined _not_ to embarrass himself as he had in front of Fire Lord Azulon. So, instead of copying Azula, he performed the flaming armadillo-lion forms. It was a little rushed, but much better than he managed for his instructors the afternoon before. Breathing hard, he finished the last moves and looked hopefully up at his father.

Fire Lord Ozai’s expression was sour. "The flaming armadillo-lion? I ask you to demonstrate what you know, and you show beginner forms.”

Zuko felt his cheeks heat. “They’re supposed to be middle-advanced—!”

“I learned flaming armadillo-lion when I was six,” Azula piped up, grinning. “It was _easy._ ”

“Clearly, your firebending instructors have been lax with you, Prince Zuko, if they think that is adequate work. Your failure reflects directly on them.” Ozai said. “They will, of course, be banished to the colonies."

"Father, it's not their fault!” He wasn't fond of his firebending teachers—they were both short-tempered and one had made mention of hoping to be promoted to teach Azula, but this was still unfair to them. "I promise I’ll do better!"

“Yes, you will,” Ozai said. “A lesson is in order to impress upon you the dedication needed of a worthy son. Guards!" He snapped. “Take Zuko away. He will sleep in the lower cells tonight."

“The… lower cells?” Horror rooted him to the ground. The lower cells were so dank and old that they weren't used anymore, except for storage. Prisoners were now housed in newer and cleaner Capitol Prison across the caldera. “Father, no, please. Let me try again. I can do better! I promise!"

Ozai turned away, gesturing for Azula to come stand by his side so they could walk to dinner.

His guards stepped forward to take Zuko.

Even then, Zuko was more humiliated than scared. He had been sent to his rooms without a meal before, but to be sent to the lower cells, like a common criminal...

He sniffed back tears as the guards led him through the new palace, through to a distant corner of the old palace, to a dusty stairwell and down, down, down, far past where natural light reached. A place so deep and forgotten that the torches had to be relit because no one ever came down there.

One of the guards must have taken pity because she led him into a cell that wasn't too dank and drippy. Closing the door, she said, "We will be stationed right outside the stairs, and will fetch you in the morning."

He nodded, staring at his shoes.

She glanced around, exchanged a shrug with the other guard, and then to Zuko’s surprise unhooked her water flask by her hip and shoved it through the bars. He took it automatically and opened his mouth to ask a question, but she and the other guard were already walking away.

Later, he would think about that and realize she was trying to be kind. But he was too hurt, humiliated, and sad to care.

He tried not to think about how Ozai and Azula were enjoying their dinner right now. They were probably laughing about him.

There was a hard stone bench used for a bed. No mattress. It would have rotted away a long time ago. Zuko sat down, pulled his knees up to his chest, and tried not to miss his mother. She always stuck up for him when Father got angry.

 _I’ll be a better son_ , he thought. _No matter who my next firebending instructor is, I'll work twice as hard and learn everything I can. I’m going to be the next Fire Lord after father, which means I have to do better._

He felt the slow sink of the sun and laid down, trying to get some sleep. At least this cell wasn't near the food storage so he wasn't troubled by scorpion-rats.

He woke in the middle of the night to muffled shouting. Sitting up, he cocked his head and listened. The voices were too far away to make out any words.

What was going on? A shift change? But why would there be yelling? He listened hard, but eventually the voices faded.

He woke in the morning with the distant pull of the sun, hungry, thirsty, and looking forward to being let out. His father would expect him to continue classes as soon as he could, and Zuko didn't want to disappoint. He hoped he could grab something from the kitchens, first. The cooks liked him well enough. Sometimes they slipped him sweet-bean rolls if he asked nicely.

No one came.

He was hungry, but drank some of the water in the flask. It was tepid and tasted like it had a little wine mixed in, but it was better than nothing.

The last of the torches died at noon all at once, like a snuffed candle.

Zuko cried out in surprise as he was plunged into inky blackness more absolute than he had ever known before. He literally could not see his hand in front of his face. Hurriedly, he lit a bit of flame in his hand. He went to the bars and shook them. Firmly locked.

"Hello?" he called out. The guard had promised someone would be nearby, and he was really, really hungry now...

There wasn't an answer.

By afternoon, he knew he was in trouble. He yelled as loud as he could. Sometimes promises that he had learned his lesson, he would do better. Sometimes just sound to remind the guards he was still down there… but no one answered back.

His stomach burned from lack of food.

He hadn’t thought he'd made his father _this_ angry. Maybe he was just really busy being Fire Lord. He couldn't have forgotten about Zuko… could he? Or did he expect Zuko to find his own way out?

The bars were sunk in deep, and from the dark patina, several other firebenders had tried to melt their way out before. Zuko had no more success than they did. As the sun sank on his second night, Zuko's own flame sputtered and died. Shaking, cold, he tried to kindle a candle-sized flame in the palm of his hand, but could only bring forward sparks.

His third day, the flask went dry. He leaned against the corner of his cell, knocking the metal edge of the flask against the bars. He wasn't hungry anymore, he was just thirsty.There was some moisture on the walls--it tasted metallic and gross, but he gathered it on his fingers and put it to his tongue, anyway. It wasn’t enough.

On the fourth day, his head pounded too much to even want to make noise.

Later, he was told he was in the cell a solid week. They told him that he even survived was a miracle.

Zuko had no clear recollection of the last few days aside from the dark and the thirst.

The only thing he remembered clearly was a painful light falling on his face and someone barking out, "Alert the Fire Lord!"

* * *

He woke not in his bedroom, but Lu Ten's. His uncle Iroh sat next to his bed, and as soon as Zuko cracked open his eyes, he was spoon-fed room temperature broth as if he were a baby.

Zuko was too weak to sit up—the terrible thirst was gone but his hands were bandaged, the tips of his fingers worn to blood. In his delirium, he had tried to dig out of his cell.

"... Father?" he rasped.

“No doubt settling down in the colonies,” Iroh replied. “I had been merciful, but for this, I will have his rank stripped to the lowest commoner. The order has already been sent.“

Zuko stared at him, not understanding.

"Zuko," Iroh began and then stopped, a sad smile quirking his lips. " _Prince_ Zuko, there have been several changes while you were… away.” He rested a hand over the portion of Zuko’s wrist which was unbandaged. “You have my promise you will never be abused or forgotten again.”

He didn't understand, but he also didn't suspect the broth was drugged. Zuko meant to blink, but instead slipped back into sleep with the Fire Lord sitting by his side.

Later, he would learn of his Uncle's return the very night he was put into the lower cells. How every palace guard was sent to stop him, and was defeated. Of the Dragon of the West's challenge to the usurper. Ozai had no choice to accept. The Agni Kai was scheduled for noon that next day.

And how Iroh absolutely wiped the floor with his younger brother. That Iroh did not strike the final blow was an act of utter shame for Ozai.

Ozai and his daughter were given the opportunity to govern the colonies. When asked, Ozai claimed that Ursa had taken Zuko with her. Ozai then begged to take his only child with him to the Earth Kingdom, and Iroh had granted his request. Azula stayed silent at Ozai’s side, staring hatefully at her uncle.

The next few days were chaos with palace staff’s turnover; some leaving, others returning from jobs they had quit when Ozai ascended.

The first guards to recover from Iroh’s now legendary storming of the palace had come back to service and asked about Zuko. An immediate search was made.

Zuko slept that night in his new bedroom, not aware he was both Crown Prince the newly adopted son of Fire Lord Iroh.

He would not see Ozai or Azula again for six years.

**Author's Note:**

> For fic and fandom, check out my Tumblr. https://awesomeavocadolove.tumblr.com


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